The ATR 72, a twin-turboprop regional airliner by Franco-Italian manufacturer ATR, has been in production since the late 1980s. Known for its versatility, it is used on flights ranging from short regional hops to longer journeys of up to four hours. Over the years, more than 1,000 units have been produced.
Currently, PT Wings Abadi Airlines, commonly known as Wings Air and based in Indonesia, holds the largest fleet of ATR 72 aircraft. “Wings Air is the world’s largest current operator of aircraft from the ATR 72 family,” according to ch-aviation data. The airline operates 77 ATRs with most being the newer ATR 72-600 variant.
IndiGo follows with a substantial number of active ATRs. “Despite having only been founded two decades ago,” IndiGo has become India’s largest airline by domestic market share and fleet size. It currently operates 50 ATR 72-600 aircraft with an average age of just 4.6 years.
Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras also features prominently among operators with its exclusive use of the ATR 72-600 model within this category. Azul’s fleet consists of “a grand total of 38 examples” of this variant.
In New Zealand, Air New Zealand operates both DHC-8 Dash series and a significant number of ATR aircraft. With a fleet primarily consisting of the newer “ATR 72-600 model,” it ranks as one of the major operators globally.
Philippines-based Cebgo rounds out this list as another carrier relying solely on an all-economy configured fleet comprising entirely “22 aircraft from the ATR 72 family.”
These airlines highlight how various global carriers utilize different configurations and operational strategies for their fleets based on regional needs and strategic goals.
